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Back to a new low today and feeling pretty good. One of my buddies asked for some weight loss tips so I put together this list and figured I would also post it here.
Here are some things that have worked for me:
No cheating - No sugar or starch period! I have kept within my 20 net carbs per day (mostly from green veggies) for most of the first 6 months (It has only recently that I have moved on to OWL and started adding other items in the carb ladder)
Keep calories in check - Just because we are on Atkins doesn’t mean we can eat anything we want – for the most part I try to consistently eat about 1500 calories per day. Find a number that works for you and try to stick with it (e.g. make sure you don’t go too far above or below this value on a daily basis).
Record everything – I have the Fat Secret app on my Windows Phone and I record everything I eat when I eat it. Whenever possible I weigh the food I eat too just to make sure the numbers are accurate.
Weigh Daily – People have different views on this. But I find weighing myself first thing in the morning when I wake up helps keep me on track.
Exercise – I started adding exercises 1 month after I started the diet. Nothing fancy: Three times a week I go to the gym and spend 35 minutes on the elliptical (now treadmill), 20 minutes weight lifting, and 5 minutes stretching. Every week I increase the level (e.g. more weight or higher resistance) a bit.
No Alcohol – I love Scotch but I have pretty much given it up except for very rare occasions. Recently I have experimented with adding back a glass of wine once a week and not had any issues.
Food tips:
Breakfast – I have a Premier Nutrition chocolate shake (from Costco) and coffee every morning for breakfast
Lunch – I have a salad or the ‘lunch special’ at work when it is Atkins friendly (e.g. cleanly cooked protein and vegies). On the weekend I usually make an Atkins friendly wrap using left over protein wrapped in a Carbsmart tortilla.
Dinner – I am not much of a cook but Costco has been a life saver. They have pre-made meals like Morton’s Pot Roast, Cuisine Solutions Chicken, Pulled Pork, etc. that are really low carb. I buy one of these each week along with a bucket of spinach or kale and whip up a quick dinner every night. Trader Joes also has some good Atkins friendly products if you look for them including their pot roast, feta dressing, and stuffed pork loin.
Snacks – I have a cheese stick at 11am and a Quest protein bar (used to be Atkins brand) at 2pm every day that gives me the energy I need. When I first started I would also have 10 almonds and 5 pistachios at about 4pm but I don’t feel the need for them anymore.
Sweets – Try to avoid them whenever possible. I eat sugar free Jell-O cups a few times a week for dinner. Now that I am in OWL I also will sometimes have low-carb yogurt, a Bryer’s low carb fudge pop, or an Atkins Indulge bar.
Drinks – Lots of water. I drink lots of Talking Rain Sparkling Spring Water (No Sodium. All natural. Zero Calories. No Sweeteners)
Restaurants - I eat out a lot less than before. But when I do I always check the menu online first and make a plan for what I am going to eat. Here are my regulars:
Thai – Lots of great food but you have to be careful – they sneak sugar in everywhere. I usually end up getting garlic pork with lettuce instead of rice.
Vietnamese – Also good but everything gets covered in hoisin sauce (which is pure sugar) so I usually ask for extra napkins and quickly wipe off my pork chop .
Greek – Chicken souvlaki salads are great!
American – Usually end up with salads. Practice saying “hold the nuts/cranberries/croutons and put the dressing on the side”
Japanese – Salmon Shiozake (also sometimes mislabeled Terakihi) is grilled salted salmon and is reasonably healthy.
Chinese – Usually easy to find something edible on authentic Chinese food menus but can be a bit tougher at American Chinese food restaurants.
Mexican – I love Mexican food but have a really hard time eating at Mexican restaurants now. I have found I can usually get away with a fajita platter (with lettuce instead of tortillas) but it is still a lot of calories.
Breakfast – Omelets (hold the hash browns and toast). Now that I am on OWL I usually get a side of cottage cheese. One restaurant I go to even serves sautéed vegetables on the side!
Subway Salad – Great when I am on a road trip and need a quick bite to eat. I usually get a spinach & “chicken breast” salad with lots of vegies and a small amount of ranch (“chicken breast” in quotes because their chicken actually has 4 carbs – not sure how they manage that)
Places I go in the past that I now avoid - Panda Express, McDonalds, KFC, Wendy’s, Bakeries, Mexican restaurants,
Don’t be afraid to ask – As a polite Canadian I found it hard to speak up and ask questions about the food I ate and/or ask for substitutions. But I have needed to work through these issues and be more forward. At restaurants I always ask if it is possible to substitute a sugar/starch rich side for something else (e.g. rice for lettuce, bread for cottage cheese, etc.). Before I attend a party I ask what will be on the menu and either eat before or take a snack with me if needed.
Grocery Shopping – Everyone says ‘shop the edges’ and this has worked well for me. I have previously mentioned Costco and Trader Joes. At my regular grocery store I stock up on cheese, frozen veggies, salad vegetables, protein (chicken/pork/beef), and dairy (heavy whipping cream and eggs).
Make weight loss a focus – A lot of my free time now is spent on weight loss. I read fat secret journals (of both my buddies and folks in the Atkins group) everyday which helps keep me motivated. I read the Atkins blog. I watch Biggest Loser. I read exercise magazines. I signed up for my first 5K.
Most of all stay internally motivated and remember you can do it! It hasn’t been easy to do, but looking back it, the journey has totally been work it and really had a positive effect on my self-confidence, energy-level, career, and relationship with my wife.
Be Happy!
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205.4 lb
Lost so far: 100.6 lb.
Still to go: 30.4 lb.
Diet followed reasonably well.
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Diet Calendar Entry for 09 February 2012:
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1622 kcal
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Fat: 102.62g | Prot: 137.88g | Carb: 53.70g.
Breakfast: Heavy Whipping Cream, Coffee, Chocolate Protein Shake. Lunch: Blueberries, Mushrooms, Pico De Gallo Salsa, Young Green Onions (Tops Only), Baby Spinach, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Beef Sausage, Scrambled Egg. Dinner: Jell-O, oikos yogurt, Smoked Pulled Pork, Feta Dressing, English Cucumber, 50/50. Snacks/Other: Strawberry Cheesecake, Stringsters String Cheese. more...
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losing 7.0 lb a week
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